Scott AFB airman indicted on pipe-bomb charges

Oct. 29, 2013 - 07:20PM
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EAST ST. LOUIS, ILL. — A federal grand jury has indicted a southwestern Illinois Air Force staffer who authorities allege had pipe bombs he fantasized about unleashing on local sex offenders.

The indictment returned against 24-year-old Justin Vangilder of Shiloh charges him with three felony counts of possessing an unregistered destructive device. Those charges replace those in a criminal complaint returned against him Oct. 4.

Vangilder was assigned to Scott Air Force Base east of St. Louis when he was arrested after federal investigators say they found the pipe bombs in his off-base home.

The FBI says he told an informant he fantasized about killing child molesters and sought to “inflict as many casualties as possible.”